On Saturday, 8th July 2023, a state methodological conference was held at RMIT University in Melbourne, focusing on the challenges faced by ethnic language schools. The event was organised by Community Languages Victoria and invited representatives from 198 ethnic language schools. Teachers from three Polish schools in Victoria also participated.

The meeting commenced with the singing of the Australian National Anthem. Following this, speeches were delivered by Professor Mark Rose, Director of Community Languages Australia – Stefan Romaniw OAM, and CLA Presidium Member – Tassos Douvartzides.

We also had the opportunity to hear guidance on collaboration with the state government shared by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria – Mo Elrafihi, and reflections from former students of ethnic schools on the advantages of learning a second language. We were also keenly interested in attending a lecture by Heba El-Hakim on teaching quality standards.

After the official segment, all teachers were able to choose two practical workshops aimed at improving their teaching, leadership, ensuring the safety of our charges, partnership, and cooperation with families.

All meetings were very well organised. There was significant interest in an interactive lecture by Dr Jing Qi, a lecturer at RMIT University, on how teachers can utilise artificial intelligence.

The meeting concluded with a panel discussion and a prize draw for conference participants. I am extremely pleased to inform you that the main prize was won by Ms Justyna Podolska, a teacher at the Marshal Józef Piłsudski Polish School in Rowville. Our heartfelt congratulations!